Monday, March 07, 2005

Monday morning musings

My observations show Skype volumes at 44m minutes per day over the weekend, and downloads at 571k per day.

This article on online poker in today's Financial Times highlights another area where the integration of Skype (or something like it) could play an important role in enriching the user experience of online activities which are already well-established. Notice that the ESPN site, which has reportedly generated intense interest, recommends, but does not require, a sound card. UK betting site GoldBet makes no mention of sound at all. If what these services are trying to associate themselves with, either explicitly or implicitly, is the "glamor" and psychological drama of professional gambling, then certainly a bit of witty banter around the table couldn't hurt the atmosphere.

Elsewhere, the Frankfurter Allgemeine is reporting that T-Mobile is to introduce flat rate data pricing at CeBIT later this week. The article, run through the Google translation tool with the usual comical results, includes a statement from CEO Rene Obermann that wireless VoIP as a mass market phenomenon is a non-starter for the next two to three years, after which DT will join the fray. I tend to think that events will conspire to collapse that timetable.